INDIANAPOLIS -- Anthony James "Tony" Renna, 26, of Indianapolis, a former DeLand resident, died Wednesday, October 22, 2003, of injuries suffered in a testing accident at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Mr. Renna, who finished seventh in the 2003 Indianapolis 500 in May, was born in Apple Valley, Calif. He moved to Florida with his family at a young age and began his racing career at the age of 6, racing quarter midgets on the local tracks. He graduated from Father Lopez High School, Daytona Beach in 1995. While still a high school senior, he won the Skip Barber Formula Ford Florida Series title.
Mr. Renna competed in Europe and the United States, driving in the Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) training series, Indy Lights. In 2000, he finished fifth in points in that series. He also worked for Kelley Racing as a test driver and driving coach for actor Jason Priestley. He made his IRL IndyCar Series debut in 2002, substituting for Al Unser Jr. He drove in the 2003 Indianapolis 500 as part of the Kelley team. He joined the Target Chip Ganassi team in October and was making his debut with the team at the time of his accident.
More on Tony Renna's much-too-short life and career at http://www.tonyrenna.net .
7th place, 2003 Indy 500
Created on ... December 30, 2003